Digital Catapult, in partnership with Sony Music UK and Sony Music Publishing UK, and in collaboration with Channel 4, has announced the 12 Black-founded startups joining the 2025 cohort of its Black Founders Programme. Designed to accelerate the growth of high-potential creative-technology companies and enable them to scale, it connects entrepreneurs with mentorship, technical support, and targeted funding to prepare them for investment and successful commercialisation.
In 2024, Black Friday was forecasted to boost the UK economy with £7.1 billion in sales. And with three in five adults predicted to be heading to the shops for the Black Friday weekend in 2025 – that’s 31.9 million potential customers for UK SMBs.
Dost, an AI-powered financial automation platform, has announced its official UK market launch following a £6 million Series A funding round led by Octopus Ventures.
Condukt, the next-generation compliance platform for financial services, has announced $10 million in funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and MMC Ventures, with participation from Cocoa Ventures.
A new report from reputation management consultancy Infinite reveals that UK media are up to five times more likely to frame tech unicorns through the lens of failure compared to their US counterparts – a trend that reflects, and may be contributing to, the UK’s struggle to support startups in scaling.
Voltrac has announced it has secured a €7 million seed round. The round was led by Extantia, with participation from FoodLabs, Antler, PUSH, and Prototype Capital. This new round quickly follows its €2 million pre-seed, and enables Voltrac to scale production to 100 units per year in 2026.
UNiDAYS has teamed up with Student Venture and Canopy Community, to launch a nationwide Student Startup Accelerator programme, designed to discover and accelerate the next generation of entrepreneurs.
New research from Avilio has found that 36% of respondents experienced burnout in the last year which – when applied to the UK working population – means that 11.9 million UK workers would fall into this category.
Cellbyte, the AI-native platform that helps pharmaceutical companies accelerate drug launches, has announced that it has raised $2.75 million in seed funding. The round was led by Frontline Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Pace Ventures, Saras Capital, and Springboard Health Angels.
TMT ID, the mobile data and identity intelligence company, has secured a £30 million investment from BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active growth capital investor, to support its expansion and help global firms combat cybercrime, prevent fraud and build digital trust.
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) startup portfolio has successfully raised over $1 billion in investments, co-investing with a diverse network of local and global venture capital firms. This significant milestone underscores KAUST’s growing impact on the global deeptech landscape.
Exwayz, pioneer in 3D positioning and navigation software, has announced a €1 million fundraising round led by CentraleSupélec Venture. This includes a grant awarded by the prestigious i-Lab Innovation Competition under the France 2030 plan.
AKA Foods has announced the completion of a $17.2 million seed funding round led by renowned AI experts and entrepreneurs Alex and Michael Bronstein. The funding marks the official launch of AKA Studio, a secure AI system and proprietary platform that enables food companies to create, optimise, and launch products much faster, smarter, and more affordably than ever before.
1nhaler, a Scotland-based drug delivery device developer, has secured £1.5 million in seed funding to drive development of its novel pop-up cardboard dry powder inhaler (DPI).
Integrated Systems Events has announced the launch of Spark, a new four-day showcase event dedicated to cross-vertical creative connectivity.
If you’re looking to launch a mobile app development business, now is a great time. With millions of mobile devices in use across the UK, demand for innovative mobile applications continues to rise. Whether you’re interested in building native apps, hybrid apps, or cross platform apps, this guide will help you get started. For expert insight and inspiration, you can explore how UK app designers approach the process from concept to launch.
Ada Ventures, the pre-seed investment firm backing inclusive alpha founders across the UK and Europe, has launched an AI-powered pitch deck review tool for founders that allows them to access VC-grade feedback before they share their materials with prospective investors.
For many startup businesses in the UK, managing health and safety can be one of the most time-consuming and complex parts of running operations. Between writing detailed risk assessments, preparing method statements, and keeping up with HSE compliance, it’s easy for small teams to feel overwhelmed. That’s where RAMS software can make a real difference.
Limetrack, the London-based food waste technology company that helps businesses cut costs, reduce carbon, and meet regulatory requirements through its patented ‘SMART Bin’, announces it has successfully raised over £1.3 million to fund its next growth phase.
